Machine and method for forming cables



y 7, 1 J. R. GAMMETER MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING CABLES Original Filed 2 1925 a Sheets-Sheet JZTEi /Q iii/7 Z. Emmi/5a ay 7, W29. J. R. GAMMETER MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING CABLES Original Filed Feb. 26, 1923 s Sheets-Sheet [Elli-Ill Patented May 7, 1929. v

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. GAMMETER, OF AKRON, OHIO.

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR FORMING CABLES.

Application filed February 26, 1923, Serial No. 621,212. Renewed October 1, 192B.

. My invention pertains to machines and methods for forming cables or wire ropes and is designed to simplify and improve upon present practices in their manufacture.

The general purpose of this invention is to provide a practical and simplified form of machine for spiralling a series of separate strands of wire, laying them together in the form of a cable and tensioning the cable to the exact degree required to compact the strands into close formation. The machine and method disclosed will eliminate expensive braiding machinery heretofore used in this art.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a machine adapted to spiral a series of wire strands, either round or sector-shaped in cross-section, and torevolve all of the strands to lay them together into the form of a cable without twisting them andthus distorting the spirals.

My invention also comprehends improved means for laying a series of wire strands into the form of a cable as they issue from a spiral forming mechanism by which they are rotated and means for tensioning the strands and winding up the cable without interrupting the rotation of the strands or changing the speed of rotation thereof.

The above, as well as other objects and advantages, will be readily perceived when the following description of my invention is read and upon reference to the accompanying drawings and the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a machine for the manufacture of cables in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partly in section;

t Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3'3 of Figure 2 and drawn on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2; i

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spiralling die and bolder forming a part of my machine;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-.6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view lllustrating a cable of sectorshaped strands formed by my machine Figure 8 is a plan view of a modified form of my invention;

Figure 9 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of the modified form of machine;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view illustrating one form of cable which may be formed by the machine shown in Figures 8 and 9;

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view of the cable shown in Figure 10 before the several strands are compacted together;

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view of another type of cable which the modified machine is adapted to form; and

Figure 13 is a similar view of another type of cable formed by my invention.

In my present invention and referring particularly to the preferred embodiment thereof, a series of sector-shaped wire strands such as shown at 1 are fed from a group of individual supply reels 2 by a pair of feed rollers 3 adapted to force the strands through individual dies 4 which form the wires into spirals in the manner well known in the art.

The rollers 3 are preferably journaled in superposed relation between bearing brackets 5 arising from a suitable form of base 6. The lower roller 3 is geared, as shown at 7 and 8, to a driven shaft 9 which is journaled upon the base 6 and is driven by a belt connection 10 from a pulley 10*npon a drive shaft 11.

Rollers 3 are provided at equi-distant inter- .vals with mating grooves 12 for receiving the strands 1 and feedin them in parallel paths and one of them, pre erably the upper roller, is adapted to be adjusted relative to the other by means of hand wheels, as shown at 13, so that different sizes of strands may be received in the grooves 12. The reels 2 are grouped to rotate freely at one side of the rollers 3 and suitable guides 14: are provided between them and the rollers 3 to align the strands 1 with the grooves 12. w

The spiral forming dies4 are mounted in a frame 15 that is fixed between the brackets'5 and adapted to support the dies midway between the rollers 3.

I prefer to use as a die a rod 16 having a spiral groove 17 and secured against rotation in a tubular nozzle or holder 18. A series of these dies 4 are afiixed to the frame 15 in a horizontal position and in-spaced apart relation to align them with the grooves 12. Each will be rotated on its longitudinal axis as it is passed-from the die and is crimped into spiral form.

One of the principal features of my invention is that I provide a practical and efficient combination of devices for laying strands of spiralled wire together and compacting them into the form of a cable while the strands are being spiralled and rotated by a die of this character, making use of the rotating action of the wires to wrap themselves into cable form.

' I provide an open rectangular frame 19 having horizontally aligned trunnions 20 and 21 at its ends by means of which it is journaled to revolve in suit-able bearing brackets 22 and 23 about an axis at right angles to the axes of the'rollers 3. The trunnion'20 projects beyond its bracket 22 and carries a worm wheel 24 keyed thereon and in mesh with a worm 25 upon a driven shaft 26. The shaft 26 is provided with a pulley 27 which is driven by a belt 28 and a pulley 28 from the aforesaid drive shaft 11. The frame 19 is thus revolved simultaneously with the rollers 3 and at a speed of rotation similar to that imparted to the wires by'the action of the spiralling dies. Trunnion 20 is bored 1 axially as at 20 to provide a sleeve or die through which the strands 1 are fed from the dies 4. The frame 19 carries a pair of peripherally grooved sheaves 29 and 30 mounted at one side of the axis of rotation of the frame, one roller being larger than the other. The sheaves 29 and 30 are fixed upon a common rotary shaft 31 which carries a worm wheel 32 in mesh with a worm 33. The worm 33 is fixed upon a driven shaft 34 journaled longitudinally of the frame. One end of the shaft has a car pinion 35 fast thereon which meshes with a stationar gear wheel 36 mounted concentrically o the trunnion 20 upon the bracket 22. The 0 posite end of the shaft 34 carries a bevele gear 37 which meshes with a similar gear 38 fast upon a shaft 39. Shaft 39 is journaled upon the frame 19 in brackets 40 thereon and has a belt ulley 41 fixed upon" its opposite end. A win -u reel 42 is rotatably mounted between t e brackets 40 and is provided with a driving pulle 43. 'Pulle' s 41 and 43 are connected by a It 44 an are provided with any suitable means for compensating for the increasing diameter of the wind-up reel.

From the foregoing it. will be seen that the sheaves 29 and 30 and the reel 42 are rotated by the shaft 34 with theframe 19. A peripherally grooved idler 45 of larger diameter than the sheaves 29 and 30 is mounted'upon the frame 19 opposite the sheaves 29 and 30 so that the former rotates upon one side of the The strands 1 are brought together and pass through the bore 20 of trunnion 20 which is of theproper diameter to lay the spirals together in loose formation and to permit the cable thus formed by the joint rotation of all of the wires to pass freely therethrough. The cable is looped around the smaller sheave 29, around the idler 45, thence around the larger sheave 30, from which it passes to the wind-up roller 45.

The driving connections 24;, 25, 28 and 28 for the frame 19 are timed to revolve the frame at the same speed at which the strands 1 are rotated by the dies 4 so that the strands are not twisted in any degree and their spirals thus distorted. The driving connections 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are also timed to rotate the sheave 29 and the wind-up roller 45 at substantially the same speed as that at which the strands issue from the dies 4 so that the spirals are not tensioned before they are laid together in the bore 20'. The sheave 30 being of larger diameter will stretch the cable between the sheaves 29 and the idler 45 sufiiciently to compact the spirals and remove any stretch in the cable.

' The foregoing form of my invention is designed particularly for forming a cable of sector-shaped strands without a core.

In Figures 8 to 12, however, I have shown another embodiment of mv invention adapted for forming a cable of different character.

In this form of the invention, I pro ose to spiral a series of strands and lay t em about a central core strand or cable. The strands may be multiple wire strands as shown in Figures 8 toll, partially sector shaped as shown in Figure 12, or round single strands as shown in Fi ure 13.

In either event the minor portion of the machine in its construction and arrangement is substantially the same as that previously described, with the exception that I add thereto means for rotating 9. core wire, strand, or cable. As shown in-Figure 8, the gripping feed rollers 3 are each provided with an additional central groove 12 of suflicient size to permit a centrally disposed core element 46 to pass between them from a reel 2 so that the strands 1' may be laid about the core 46 and each other in the bore 20 of the tensionin and wind-up devices previousl describe The core element is pulled in t is instance from the reel 2 by the wind-up mechanism. The reel 2 is mounted to rotate freely in a carrier 2" which in turn is journaled to revolve upon a stand 2'. The journal of the carrier 2' is provided with a worm wheel 2 meshing with a worm 2' upon a shaft 2. Shaft 2 is connected by beveled gearing 2' with a second shaft 2 which is in turn geared, as at 2, to the shaft 2 that revolves the frame 19. Suitable idler rollers 14: may be provided between the reel 2 and the rollers 3 to prevent vertical play of the core element, and an additional guide 14 is provided for aligning the core with the grooves 12 As the core element is not held at its unwound end it is not stretched by the sheaves 29*, 30 and idler 45, but the strands 1 are merely compacted and stretched about it.

It is believed that my invention will be understood from the foregoing description, but I is not to be construed as limited by the present disclosure to the precise details and arrangements of parts set forth herein as changes and modifications may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. I believe that I am the first to make use of the rotating movement imparted to the wires by the spiralling operation, to cause the wires to wrap around one another in'the formation of the cable. As such I am entitled to broad protection in the use of my invention herein disclosed and as set forth in the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a base, means thereon for spiralling and rotating 9. group of moving strands, a die for assembling the strands to move in a common path, a series of tensioning sheaves of relatively different diameter mounted to revolve about the axis of the die, means for revolving the sheaves at the speed of rotation of the strands, and means for rotating one of the sheaves at the speed at which the strands issue from the first means.

2. The combination of a plurality of supply reels for wire, a spiral forming device for each wire, means to support said spiralforming devices with their emergent ends at different distances from the axis of take-off of the completed cable, and means for assembling the spiralled wires as a cable.

3. The combination of a plurality of sources of straight wire, means for forming spirals therein, said means comprising a series of devices having their emergent ends at different distances from the axis of take-off of the completed cable and means for assembling the spiralled wire into a. length of cable with the s iralled wire on the exterior thereof.

4. he combination ofa plurality of sources of straight 'wire, spiralling dies, means for holding said wires against rotation and for feeding the wire through the dies, thereby spiralling said wires and causing the spiralled wires to revolve around the individual axes of their spirals, and means for assembling the spiralled wires into a length of cable.

5. The combination of a plurality of supply reels for wire, a spiral forming device for each wire, said devices being fixed in the same plane, means for bringing the Wires together as a cable, and stretching devices for the cable.

6. A process of manufacturing cable from a plurality of wires, comprising forming the wires into helices lying substantially in a single plane, bringing said wires to a focus while rotating-the wires respectively on their helical axes, assembling the helical wires in intertwining relation, and stretching the wires to cause the helices to hug each other closely in cable form.

JOHN R. GAL/IMETER- 

